Paper Minis
Assembly Tips
The key to good printies is in the paper they're
printed on. Place a printie printed on normal paper
against a printie done on specialty inkjet paper,
and the contrast will be astounding to you. You will
notice fuller vibrant colors, crisper lines and
readable text. It is well worth the investment of
$.05-$.25 per sheet--think of all the time you put
into making printies!
I personally am an avid Epson paper fiend. I use
Matte Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper (product code
S041062/100 sheets) for most of my printies. For
double-sided projects (such as book pages) I use
Epson Matte Double-Sided Matte Paper (product code
S041568/50 sheets). This paper works well for the
larger scaled printies as well--it gives the larger
printies some stiffness and body. For a few items I
use Epson Glossy Photo Paper (product code
S041271/100 sheets). I don't use it much because it
doesn't hold those tiny folds well that are needed
for 1" dollhouse scale and Fashion Doll scale. I
only use it for flat items.
When you go to print printies, make sure that you
have selected the best print settings found in your
printer's particular print dialog box. Yes it does
use a little more ink this way, but why be a penny
wise and pound foolish printie-crafter!
If you make as many printies as I do, you've
probably noticed that those little bottles of craft
satin clear coating get used up pretty quickly. I've
discovered MinWax Water-Based Polycrylic protective
Finish at the local Home Depot. It comes in
quart-sized cans and lasts me forever. Apply with a
wide artist's brush (keep it clean!)...one coat
vertically and one coat horizontally before you even
cut the printies from the sheet of paper. This way
you have a nice smooth finish without drips--and its
faster! You must test this first, for some printers'
do not have non-bleed ink. Most recently I have been
using clear polyurethane spray paint. It works great
and can be found wherever hardware and paint is
sold. Prices range $1-$5 approximately. Again, test
this first before spraying something of value.
Next to paper quality, cutting is the second most
important element of printie making. I use those
tiny little detailing scissor (the kind Grandma kept
in her sewing basket for cutting embroidery floss)
and an X-acto knife. Don't scrimp on the blades! I
change my blade at the first sign of dullness. I
recently bought a Nicole Cutting Mat (9"x12") at the
sewing store--what a great $9 investment! I get
smooth cuts using the mat and my X-acto blades last
so much longer now.
Paper folds on printies must be crisp and straight.
To help me I use the edge of a metal 12" ruler. In
my particular case I've been using a cork-backed
Westcott metal ruler, which is a nice thin-edged
ruler. I line-up the printie fold with one hand
against the ruler's edge and press to crease with
the other hand. See the tutorial titles
Ann's Tool Box.
The final stage of printie-making is the glue
process. I sometimes use Quick Grip All-Purpose
Permanent Adhesive (this is like clear model
airplane glue). It is great for gluing tabs that
have a slick surface.
For all other gluing, such as book spines, the lips
to gift boxes, and envelopes I use Nicole Super
Tacky Glue for Crafts and Hobbies (fast grab and
dries clear). I use little artists' brushes to apply
the glue. Just squirt a little on a piece of waxed
paper or aluminum foil from which to work. I always
have a piece at the ready next to my computer as
well as a little cup of water with my paint brushes
sitting in it.
For pressing and sealing glued surfaces, I have
found that a pair of tweezers, q-tip swab and erase
end of a pencil work great and are with me at all
times. For forming cylindrical items I have a
collection of wood dowels of different
circumferences. I form the curved items against the
dowel. It’s also good for pressing a gluey tab to
its matched surface.
For detailed assembly instructions, go to the Paper
Minis web site and click on the Tutorials menu link.
A list of tutorials are available to you complete
with close-up photos. Click here to visit the site:
http://www.paperminis.com. |
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